Drying attachment for printing presses



B. SANDFORTH DR YING ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Jan. 29. 1923WES atented Nov. 25, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERNARD SANDFOR'I'H, or- TECHNY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 1'0 SOCIETYOF THEnIvIN worm, or TECHNSLILLINOIS, A CORPORATION CPI-ILLINOIS. I

DRYING ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTTNG PRESSES.

Application filed January 29,1923. Serial No. 615,466.

following is a full, clear, and exact description. The invention relatesto drying attachments for printin presses.

The object of t e 1I1V6I1t1011 is to provide simple and improved meansfor receiving sheets or cards from a printing press, drying them anddelivering them into a stack after they have been dried.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter setforth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.I

In the drawings: Fig. lnis a plan, of a structure embodying theinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

The invention is exemplified in a structure comprising an ordinar ,table3 which is supported by legs 4. 11 top of the table, there is secured asupporting frame for an endless belt 5 which passes'around a driven roll6 and idler roll 7. Centrally, the belt is supported by an idler roll 8.The supporting frame for the belt comprises standards 9 and longitudinalbars 10 which are riveted to said standards and are provided at theirends with bearings for the rolls 6 and 7 respectively. The table andendless belt are adapted to be placed alongside of a printing press andwithin convenient'reac'h for the printing press operator. Preferably,the endless belt is extended beyond the usual table 12 on the printingpress from which the sheets or cards are fed so that the operator canconveniently place the printed sheets or cards on the belt as fast asthe are removed from the printing press A, w ich is of usualconstruction. The press usually comprises a crank-shaft a with a flywheel a thereon. To automatically drive the belt 5 from the printingpress and to cause it to be stopped and started synchronousl with thepress, a sprocket-wheel 13 is fixe to the rojecting end of shaft a andconnected to rive the shaft 14 of roll 6 by a sprocket chain 15 and asprocket 16 on shaft 14. Resultantly, as long as the printing press isin operatlon, the belt 5 under the heaters.

will be operated to carry away theprinted sheets or cards as fast as theoperator lays them upon the belt. i

A shelf 18 is supported above the discharge end of the belt 5 bystandards 19 and braces 20. Suitable heaters 21, preferably electricalresistance elements, are supported on the underside of shelf 18 to drythe printed sides of the cards or sheets on the belt. Since the belt isautomatically driven while the press is in operation, the printed cardsor sheets will be successively passed An inclined shelf 22 is providedunder the driven roll 6 and the discharge end of the belt. Thisinclinedfshelf has its upper end fixed to strips 23 which are secured tostandards 9 and brace-links 24 between the lower ends of the shelf andtwo ofthe legs 4. ofthe table3. A stop bar 25 is adjustably secured toshelf 22 by clampbolts 26 and slots 27 to cause the cards orsheetsdeposited on the shelf 22 to form a stack. If desired, a. heater28 may be mounted adjacent the upper end of shelf 22 to dry the underfaces of the sheets or cards as they are leaving the belt 5.

In operation, the printing press feeder, as he removes the printedsheets from the press, will lay them directly onto the receiving end ofbelt 5. The latter will be automatically operated with the press tosuccessively carry the printed sheets under heaters 21 and over heater28 if desired and then deposit the sheets on shelf 22 where they willform a stack from which they will be conveniently removed.

The invention exemplifies an attachment which may be readily connectedto printing presses of usual construction, which will receivethe printedsheets as fast as they are taken from the press and pass them under theheaters and form a stack. No change in the printing press is neccessaryin the installment of the attachment. The

invention is particularly adapted for smaller types of printing presseswhich have no built-in drying apparatus. The entire structure may beproduced at a low cost and advantageously applied to printing pressesnow in use.

The invention dispenses with the necessity of the labor in insertingsmut sheets between the printed sheets and removing the smut-sheetstherefrom; makes it possible to print the reverse side or use the sheetsas soon as theyare delivered in the stack and saves the time and laborusually necessary in stacking.

Theiinvention is not to be understood as restricted to the'details setforth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is: p

1. In a printing press attachment, the combination of an endless belt,means to support the belt at one side of a platen printing press so theoperator of said presscan transfer the printed sheets from the platen tothebelt, gearing for, driving the belt comprising a wheel adapted to besevcured to the drive shaft of the press, a

heater to dry the'sheets conveyed by the belt, and means to receive andstack the sheets discharged, from the belt.

3. In a printing press attachment, the combination of a table, a frameon said table, an endlessbelt mounted in said frame, means adapted forconnection to a printing press for driving the belt, a heater to dry thesheets carried by the belt, and means to receive and stack the sheetsfrom the belt.

4. In an attachment for printing presses, the combination of an endlessbelt, a frame to support the belt, gearing for driving the beltcomprising a wheel adapted to be secured to the drive-shaft of aprinting-press, and a heating element supported by the frame and abovethe belt. 7

5. In an attachment for printing presses, the combination of an endlessbelt, a frame to support the belt, caring for driving the beltcomprising a w eel adapted to be secured to the drive-shaft of aprinting press, a heating element above the belt, and an inclined shelfto receive the sheets from the belt. i

6. In an attachment for printing presses,

the combination of an endless belt, a frame for supportin the beltadapted to be placed on the top 0 a table, gearing for driving the beltcom rising 'a wheel adapted to be secured to t e drive-shaft of aprinting press, heating elements supported by the framework and abovethe belt, and an inclined shelf to receive the sheets from the belt.

7. In a printing press attachment, the

combination of an endless belt, gearing

